Mirror-still mountain lake dawn near Quito floodplain

Pale winter light strikes the horizon haze above a floodplain near Quito, where a mountain lake lies perfectly still. The water acts as a flawless mirror, duplicating the sharp ridges of the Andes and the deep blue of the cloudless sky. Low sun rays cut through the thin morning air, illuminating the wet, dark grasses along the muddy shoreline. Frost rests on the reeds, their brittle tips standing rigid against the cold. The reflection shows no ripples, only the solid geometry of the peaks inverted in the glassy surface. One stone rests half-submerged at the water's edge, its gray texture against the smooth, dark reflection of the mountain behind it.